


Falling

by TheseArePeople



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Skydiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 20:32:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3783445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheseArePeople/pseuds/TheseArePeople
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josh and Donna go skydiving. Donna is excited. Josh--not so much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spinninginfinity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spinninginfinity/gifts).



They’ve watched a video on skydiving, signed an 18-page contract, practiced jumping positions, and are now sporting rather uncomfortable harnesses. Josh, who has had no shortage of commentary on the whole process, gestures to a young man crouched on the floor. “Look at that kid packing parachutes. He looks 12.”

“He does not.”

The kid looks up. “I’m 18. I’m licensed to do this.”

“Oh. 18. That makes me feel much better,” Josh mutters.

Donna flashes a stern look at him. “I’m sure he’s very good at his job.” Turning toward the kid, she says, “I was impressed when I saw the safety record on your website.”

The kid nods. “Thanks. And don’t worry, dude. No parachute I’ve packed has ever failed.”

“See?” Donna smiles encouragingly. “We’re in good hands.”

“What is he, five for five?” Josh says just loud enough for Donna to hear. She steers him towards a grassy waiting area just outside the door.

“Not for nothing, but do you really think it’s a good idea to make fun of the guy your life now depends on?”

“Gee, you’re comforting.” He leans away with a fake pout when she wraps her arms around him but soon pulls her tight. “Why don’t you seem nervous at all?”

“I think you might be nervous enough for both of us. And I am a little nervous, but mostly excited. I’ve always wanted to skydive.” She touches his chin with her fingertips and turns his face to hers, leaning in for a long kiss. She bites his lower lip with a light tug as they part.

“Well, that’s one way to deal with nerves,” he says, dimples flashing.

“You know you don’t have to jump if you don’t want to. I would understand if you didn’t.”

“I’m gonna do it. But maybe we should do that a few more times.” He brushes a few strands of hair behind her ear. “You know, for safety’s sake.”

***

The plane holds five people, including the pilot. Donna wants to reach for Josh’s hand, but they’re too far apart. They’re both strapped to skydiving instructors, with Josh squashed toward the front of the plane and Donna in the back, the door on her left. It’s impossible to hear anything but their instructors’ voices in their ears over the roar of the engine.

Donna is so busy taking in the incredible expanse of forests and farmland below and the mountains in the distance that she jolts when her instructor shouts, “Ready?”

The door is open. She flashes a smile at Josh, who looks like he may be sick. “I love you,” she mouths. Before Josh can react, Donna’s instructor is swinging one leg out of the plane, while she places hers on a small step outside the door. “Here we go!” His other leg is out of the plane and he propels them off the step. Donna arches her back, curls her legs back, and crosses her arms, as she had practiced. They’re falling.

Josh blinks. It looked like Donna and her instructor had been sucked out of the plane. Before his jaw can drop, his instructor is telling him to scoot toward the door. His heart is racing and his limbs are frozen. His instructor has to help him move his feet to the step. “Let’s do this!” the instructor shouts, and they’re hurtling towards the ground.

Someone had told Donna to look out into the distance instead of straight down to avoid dizziness, but she can’t take her eyes off the ground. The wind whips through every molecule of her body, and she can’t think, only feel the rush of air and adrenaline and awe. When the instructor pulls the cord of the parachute, it seems far too soon. The chute opens, jerking them out of their freefall.

Josh forgets to arch his back, but his legs curl backwards automatically. The fear that threatened to consume him only a moment ago disappears as they fall towards the earth. There isn’t any time for fear—everything happens so quickly. Before he fully realizes what is happening, his instructor pulls the cord and the chute balloons over them with a sharp jerk.

“Wow,” is all Donna can say. Now it doesn’t feel like they’re falling—more like floating. She’s struck by how peaceful it is, open space all around her, a light breeze in her hair. The only thing that would make it better is being strapped to Josh instead of an instructor.

“Wow,” Josh breathes as the initial shock settles. He’s still having trouble believing that he just jumped out of a plane. With a start, he darts his eyes back and forth across the horizon. “Where’s my wife?!” he exclaims. Panic fills him. Donna jumped before him—he should be able to see her parachute by now!

His instructor looks around and points to a tiny dot in the distance. “Right there.”

Josh is shocked that she got so far ahead of them in the seconds between their jumps, but with his fear alleviated, he begins to enjoy the view. As they drift along, he realizes that he actually feels relaxed, not what he expected from flying two miles above the ground and jumping. “This really is spectacular,” he comments.

“Can’t say I mind coming to work every day,” his instructor replies with a laugh.

After about ten minutes that feel like two, Donna and her instructor get ready to land. “Remember to stick your legs out,” he reminds her. She does, and before she knows it, they’re on the ground. She bends her knees slightly and lands on her feet. Several yards away, she watches Josh and his instructor approaching and can’t help laughing when Josh, who is clearly trying to land on his feet, lands on his butt.

***

They both have one arm tightly around each other. “Smile!” Donna’s instructor says, snapping a few pictures on Donna’s phone. Josh and Donna are beaming, still in their harnesses. They’d forgotten to take a “before” picture, but their wild hair is evidence enough that this is an “after” shot.

“Hey, I’m really glad we did this,” Josh says after they’ve taken off their harnesses and are walking to the car.

Donna squeezes his hand. “Me too. It was incredible.”

“Thanks for convincing me,” he says, leaning in to kiss her before they part to get into the car.

“One second,” Donna says before starting the ignition. “I need to text this picture to CJ, Toby, and Charlie.”

“To show them what badasses we are?

“That, and I bet them $20 that you’d go through with it.”

“You were trying to profit off throwing me out of a plane?!”

“It’s called being savvy, Josh.”

“Some might call it underhanded.”

“Not you, though. Right?”

“I can’t believe they didn’t think I’d do it.”

“But I knew,” she smiles.

He leans over to kiss the freckles on her bare shoulder. “I guess it’s a good thing I married you instead of them, huh?”

“Yeah, we made a good call on that one,” she replies with a grin. “Okay,” she says, sending the text. “Let’s get home. I’ve got an adrenaline rush and a few ideas about how to use it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback is appreciated!


End file.
